Feeling Somewhat Better About the 2010 Hatch

We've had more rain this June and July than during any previous summer I can remember. As such, I haven't been too optimistic about the 2010 turkey hatch.

Heavy rains can decimate turkey broods during that critical two-week stretch when poults and their flock hens roost on the ground. In Wisconsin, that period starts about June 5 — which is when the rain started this year. And when I didn't see many poults through early July, my layman's prognosis for the hatch was pretty gloomy.

But a funny thing happened on the way to doomsday. Poults started coming out of the woodwork. This week, I saw a hen with about eight to 10 poults and a mixed flock of two adult hens and six to eight fuzzballs. This morning on the way to work, I slowed down for two hens with two chicken-sized poults.

I'm not suggesting central Wisconsin's 2010 hatch will break records. However, if nothing else, the sightings provided visual confirmation of what I should already know: Even during the worst springs, turkeys still pull off some reproduction. And even if turkey numbers are somewhat lower for a couple of years, it only takes one or two years of good production for them to bounce back. After all, turkey populations essentially replace themselves in about four years.

So I guess I'm breathing a guarded sigh of relief. On the other hand, that completely blows a good excuse for getting whipped next spring.

One thought on “Feeling Somewhat Better About the 2010 Hatch”

On page 95 of "Art and Science of Wild Turkey Hunting" by Lovett Williams, it is indicated that he is not aware of any scientific evidence to support the notion that in years of wet spring, wild turkeys do not reproduce well. However, he does state that 70% of the poults are taken by predators during the two week period when the poults and brood hen are on the ground.